Have the Dodgers Hit Rock-Bottom?

It’s almost quite comical, really. The Dodgers are very, very bad. I’m almost convinced that if they tried to be this bad, they couldn’t be. This season has been the complete antithesis of last season. All you can do is laugh, mainly to stop yourself from crying or throwing things or whatever your coping mechanism might be.

After getting swept by the Cincinnati Reds, who had previously owned the worst record in the majors, the Dodgers sit at 16-24, eight games back of Arizona and .009 percentage points ahead of San Diego for last place in the NL West. Arizona had a five-game losing streak of their own and the Dodgers could have found themselves at .500 and within shouting distance of the Diamondbacks. But this year, those gains are not happening.

In an interview with Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, Andrew Friedman said, “Good teams click on two of three components most nights: starting pitching and defense as one, offense and bullpen. Most nights, we are clicking on one. It’s almost random, night to night.”

It’s true that the Dodgers having seemingly lost it in all areas, looking more Bad News Bears than defending NL Champions. There’s a lot of helmet and batting glove throwing in the dugout. Many pundits have gone so far as to say last year was just all luck and over-achieving. Even if that were to be true, there’s no way that this is what the basis of the team is, this group of guys bumbling around.

Fans are calling for manager Dave Roberts to be fired. For Clayton Kershaw to be traded. That it’s time to sell off the team and start over again. And to those fans I say, you are ridiculous. If you were to believe that last year was over-reaching, and Roberts managed that, how so has he become unable to do it again? Who are you trading Kershaw for? And why are you so willing to give up on him so easily, the man who carried the whole team on his back for so many years? He may be regressing a little, but he’s still Clayton Kershaw. C’mon.

And as for giving up on the season, yes, it is way too early for that. Friedman stated in his interview that the division title is still the goal. Even if that is not to be achieved, the Wild Card is still well within the realm of possibility. They haven’t even fielded the whole squad for a game this season yet.

I can see being mad at the front office for not spending enough during the off-season. Who’s to say that they would have a much better record than they do now? Brandon Morrow would have helped, but maybe a win or two? Yu Darvish hasn’t been all that much better than most of the Dodgers’ starters—can you say for sure he’d help a whole ton? The pitching staff theoretically could be better, but when the offense repeatedly doesn’t score runs, the pitching staff has to be downright perfect, and no team’s is.

I don’t have any answers. Thankfully, Justin Turner and Logan Forsythe are set to return to the lineup Tuesday in Miami. If those two bats in the lineup, especially Turner’s, don’t provide a spark, then I don’t know what to say. It may still even take the team a week or so to find a rhythm. But I do believe that better things are on the horizon for the Dodgers and it is way to soon to throw in the towel for the season.

You already know my answer on this. See, the thing with this particular Dodger team these last few years is that they’re like an extremely bi-polar version of the Nats (lol). One moment, they look like the team to beat in all of baseball (like they were last year). Next moment, they’re the absolute worst ballclub anyone’s ever seen in years! This year, I’m afraid they’ve finally fallen towards the latter. Getting Turner and Forsythe back won’t do all that much save to calm some of the younger, more high-strung Dodgers down for a spell. Other than that, gotta look forward to next year for sure. That’s when I feel the real change for the better will end up taking place as far as this team’s concerned…

Btw, I REALLY hope Kershaw opts out this winter. It’s not just that he’s been regressing the last couple of years, the man is literally starting to fall apart physically. On top of that, he’s proven to be one of the most overrated postseason pitchers in recent memory and everyone will remember him as the guy who just couldn’t hold it down in Game 5 of last year’s WS. Sooner the organization moves away from him and start grooming Buehler and Urias for the next wave of Dodger starters (might even include Mitchell White and Caleb Ferguson to that list), the sooner they’ll get right back into the WS pitcture next year.

Everyone keeps talking about how they have regressed from last year but, IMO, the regression absolutely started in September of last year. A great team does not have a 43 and 7 streak and then suddenly lose 11 in a row or 17 of 18 (or whatever that madness was). Fortunately, they showed some grit in October but that can be chalked up to adrenalin and hype. Just look at how good bad teams can be in the postseason (’16 Giants anyone?). I truly think these Dodgers showed what they were in September… a bad team. One that the FO did nothing to improve. No pitching worth a damn. No bat that we desperately needed (Cody is good but ’17 may be impossible to repeat in year 2). They dismantled the bullpen again hoping for the same as ’16 to ’17. Seriously, we went from first to worst in the BP. This team is not a WS winner. I truly hope I am wrong but the writing on the wall has been there since September.
Oh, and Darvish was never the answer. Neither last year and certainly not this year. I have no idea what they were hoping for. The man had been regressing for awhile and they got him hoping they could fix him. Must’ve thought the same about Grandy and look how much he contributed. I am with the group that says either make some smart baseball acquisitions or blow it up. 30 years is too damn long (been a fan since the 70s and this sucks). The FO needs to start thinking with some traditional baseball knowledge and not with just sabermetrics. Diamonds in the rough are hard to find. How ’bout some proven talent? Again, if I am wrong and they suddenly get great this year, I will jump up and down and scream to the heavens (and eat my words) but, as of May 14th, there is zero indication I will be wrong.

How do they make great acquisitions and stay under the cap? By most accounts they are within $5 million now, and with Maeda’s contract based on incentives, that number could be pressed. Doesn’t really look like he will, but who knows.

These FAZ guys have been caught by surprise. Injuries, underperformances and a payroll freeze currently have them by the shorthairs. It’s my guess they continue the course, hope Bellinger and Taylor find themselves, hope Turner and Forsythe provide some spark, hope Hill, Maeda, Wood, hope Jansen, Alexander, Baez, Cingrani……. a lot of hope. At the same time management will do what it is they know how to do – scour the outer markers for anyone who can get a middle inning out or two, or an inning eating starter looking for a second chance.

I figure they have until the All Star break. I still think the West is up for grabs and the Wild Card will remain in reach until mid to late September. There is a long way to go.

I agree with your analysis, Mr. Andy. Essentially all, except that last season. Maybe these Dodgers will win slightly more than 64 games. I do like them better than the Darryl Strawberry disaster era, damn. So many things are wrong, where do you even start. A lot of $$$ are invested in this team but maybe a baseball player is only worth so much. The A’s, Royals, and Rays are the deacons in that Church. Well, ok.

Thanx, Andy. Saturday evening, while the Dodgers are in D.C. being reamed by those Nationals, I will be playing the piano ~ “End of August” by Yanni and the Linda Ronstadt arrangement of “Mean To Me”. My remarkable piano teacher will probably be inclined to present me with a little trophy with my name reversed ~ “Scott Burke”, it will say. Well, stupid name, any make-over is an improvement. Unless it is a legal matter, it is of no consequence to me, but I do relate. Thanx, Andy.